Tornado History

O'brien Tornado History

This county-level tornado history page focuses on O'brien, Iowa. The records below identify 35 tornadoes from 1951 through 2026, including a highest listed rating of F3 (Severe damage). NOAA damage estimates in this group total at least $3.7M, with 0 deaths and 2 injuries recorded across the listed events.

Key Tornado Statistics

Total Tornadoes35
Total Deaths0
Total Injuries2
Property Damage$3.7M
Avg Length3.5 mi
Avg Width83 yd

Key Tornado Facts for O'brien, Iowa

Top local patterns from the historical tornado records in this group.

Average 0.5 tornadoes per year (0.4/yr in last decade)
June is the peak tornado month with 13 recorded events
Deadliest tornado: F1 in O'brien, Iowa with 0 deaths
2008 was the most active year with 4 tornadoes
The 2000s had the most tornado activity (11 events)
Longest tornado: 36.5 miles in O'brien, Iowa
Widest tornado: 300.0 yards in O'brien, Iowa
Most tornadoes in one day: 3 on Jun 11, 2008

Monthly Distribution

Shows tornado frequency across months of the year, highlighting seasonal patterns and peak tornado periods.

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

Summary: In O'brien, Iowa, June is the most active month with 13 tornadoes.

Annual Tornado Trend

Shows year-by-year tornado counts, making active years and quiet stretches easier to spot.

4320

Summary: 2008 was the most active year with 4 recorded tornadoes.

Tornado Intensity Distribution

Shows the breakdown of tornadoes by EF/F rating.

F0
EF0
F1
EF1
F2
EF2
F3
EFU

Summary: EF0 tornadoes are the most common in this group, with 9 recorded events.

Property Damage Trends

Visualizes reported property damage over time. Bars use a log-like scale so very large damage years do not flatten the rest of the chart.

$2.5M$250K$25K$0

Summary: The highest reported property damage year in this group is 1980 with at least $2.5M in NOAA-listed property damage.

Historical Track Sketch

F3 October 1, 19711971F3 May 31, 19711971F2 July 19, 19801980EF2 June 11, 20082008F2 April 3, 19681968F2 May 5, 19651965F1 June 7, 19841984F1 June 13, 20012001F1 July 9, 20002000EF1 December 15, 20212021F1 October 9, 19731973F1 July 28, 19861986EF1 June 25, 20102010EF1 June 11, 20082008F1 April 8, 1969F1 July 17, 1951F0 June 9, 1963F0 June 5, 1999EF0 May 11, 2014F0 June 10, 1986F0 April 30, 2001F0 April 30, 2001F0 June 7, 2002F0 May 9, 2004F0 May 18, 2005EF0 May 1, 2008EF0 June 11, 2008EF0 June 1, 2010EF0 June 22, 2010EF0 June 25, 2010EF0 May 4, 2012EF0 October 23, 2015EF0 May 31, 2024EFU July 20, 2024EFU April 13, 2026© OpenStreetMap contributors
This map covers the wider location—not your exact property.Measure the closest recorded track to a street address in or near O'brien, Iowa.
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Notable Tornado Records

The table highlights the strongest and most damaging records in this page's local dataset. Damage totals are NOAA-reported minimum estimates where available.

DateRatingAreaLengthWidthDeathsInjuriesMin. property damage
October 1, 1971F3O'brien, Iowa11.2 mi33 yd00$250K
May 31, 1971F3O'brien, Iowa36.5 mi100 yd00N/A
July 19, 1980F2O'brien, Iowa3.3 mi160 yd00$2.5M
June 11, 2008EF2O'brien, Iowa5.73 mi300 yd00$200K
April 3, 1968F2O'brien, Iowa0.5 mi100 yd00$25K
May 5, 1965F2O'brien, Iowa21.8 mi33 yd00$2K
June 7, 1984F1O'brien, Iowa6 mi77 yd00$250K
June 13, 2001F1O'brien, Iowa7 mi200 yd00$200K
July 9, 2000F1O'brien, Iowa0.5 mi100 yd00$100K
December 15, 2021EF1O'brien, Iowa3.85 mi100 yd00$50K
October 9, 1973F1O'brien, Iowa1 mi100 yd00$25K
July 28, 1986F1O'brien, Iowa0.1 mi13 yd00$25K
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Source And Limits

Data sourced from NOAA Storm Prediction Center and the NCEI Storm Events Database. TornadoTrace summarizes reported weather events for screening and research; it is not a damage assessment, inspection, or insurance determination. Coordinates and records can be approximate, incomplete, revised, or missing. No warranty of completeness or accuracy.

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